I never thought it was easy and i wish the guys all the best luck in doing the Spitfire book.

In case you haven’t realised Ollie, EN830 IS the driving force behind this Spitfire project.

Regards,

kev35

Ollie.

Enthusiasm is a wonderful thing and I sincerely hope you never lose it, and I really don’t want to rain on your parade, but…..

1. Originality. The instigators of the Spitfire Anniversary book are already established researchers. They have contacts that you and I don’t, and in the circles they need to move in to pull this off, they are known. You will have noticed who the contributors are already which gives you an idea of the potential quality of this volume. It has been suggested, perhaps unkindly but no less true for that, that you have missed the boat on the Hurricane anniversary by some margin. A brief search of the internet will tell you that you are in competition with the likes of Mason, Birtles, Hiscock et al in producing a work on the Hurricane. Might I respectfully suggest you choose something more original, maybe a Squadron History of a Squadron with strong Hurricane connections, or an aspect of the Hurricane’s service which has not received the acclaim it should have?

2. Practicalities. You’ll need a great deal of time for the research, that is true of any project, and then you’ll need to research it again to check what you’ve already done. I would suggest the minimum of 18 months to two years, possibly longer. It’s enjoyable, it’s worthwhile, it’s occasionally heartbreaking and it will become expensive. Don’t let any of that put you off, just prepare yourself.

3. Finance. Unless your idea is so good and so well received that a Publisher takes you on, you are going to be on your own. This is a very hard route to go down and you must question your motive in publishing before going down that route. Let’s say we’re looking at a photo-rich book which benefits from quality printing, in hardback. I doubt you would get 500 printed for anything less than £16 per copy.

4. Marketing. It is so easy to fail in this area. Your advertising costs would be heavy and remember you only have a limited audience. This is a specialised book, not a mainstream novel which could sell hundreds of thousands of copies.

5. Discipline. You need to be disciplined to achieve this. It will be a thousand times harder than anything you have ever done in your life so far. You have to achieve more than a degree of accuracy in your output. Remember, you will be writing about men and women to whom we owe our futures.

6. Criticism. If you publish anything you will be criticised, both by those who know less about the subject than you and by those who know considerably more. work out which is which and learn from your mistakes. Enjoy any paraise that comes your way. Don’t let it came you too overconfident. Always remember the next pitfall is only ever just around the corner.

7. Above all, enjoy the whole experience. It is likely that you will meet people who will illuminate your life in ways you never imagined. A veteran in his eighties telephoned me one evening, we’d never spoken before but he knew of my research. We spoke for two hours and he told me a heart rending story he had never told anyone before, not even his wife of 55 years. You are in a position of some privelege and also great trust. Be aware of your responsibilities to men such as these and never let them down.

But having said all that? Go for it. But take it seriously and be prepared to learn from others. No-one here really has an axe to grind with you, Ollie. But the way in which you seem unwilling or unable to take advantage of the good advice you have been offered leaves you open to ridicule. You have questioned or disregarded comments from people on here who rightly can be considered experts in their field of interest. That is not a character trait which endears you to those you seem dismissive if. Much of this expertise has been gained from many years of experience and tempered by the school of hard knocks. Just learn and don’t make the mistakes others are warning you of, because they, and myself, have often learned the hard way.

I wish you well in your endeavours Ollie, come along to OW on Sunday and we can have a chat.

Regards,

kev35

Would Lankytim like to climb down off his high horse now. I merely asked Ollie how he intended to fit it all in. Now, speaking as someone who has written a published book I know it takes more than a couple of hours a week to produce something even vaguely acceptable. Any distractions such as work and normal life really do impinge on what is produced. It is a long, often tiresome and thankless task for which the rewards rarely match the effort. I merely questioned the feasibility and practicality of carrying out two enormous projects at once.

However, it seems clear that you are yet another inhabitant of fantasy island, well meaning as you may be. People have offered streams of good advice to Ollie which, either through stupidity or arrogance he chooses to ignore.

Come back when you have, as others have suggested, “grown up” a little.

Regards,

kev35 (Shall I expect the one week ban or something stronger?)

Grey Area.

This “veneer of respectability” you attribute to Mosley. Would that apply equally to Winston Churchill who was an active supporter of the Eugenics Movement in the period shortly before the Great War?

Regards,

kev35

If I remember correctly, Joyce had a British Passport which was in fact invalid because of the simple fact that on his declaration he stated he was born in the British Isles, when, as previously stated, he was American by birth. Therefore, it was suggested that the British Authorities could not try him for treason as he was not a British National and that in effect he was hanged becuse of an illegal declaration on his passport. Interestingly, when arrested, he was shot in the buttocks. he stood by his principles and never tried, during his trial, to deny his loyalty the the Third Reich.

His wife, incidentally, could, and possibly should, have been tried, convicted and hanged for treason, but this never happened.

Regards,

kev35